In search of gainful employment and other virtues
by Ayla Pascal
Summary: The Ministry's full employment plan leads Hermione down an unusual path when she is assigned Draco Malfoy as one of her cases. Lucius/Hermione


**Author Notes:** Thank you so much to emerald_dragon8for being an awesome beta! Thank you also to aigooism for taking a quick look at this for me. This was originally written for leni_jess for the 2009 smutty_claus. This version, however, does not have the sex scene due to the rules for this site.

**In search of gainful employment and other virtues**

"You have to be kidding me!" Hermione exclaimed, staring at the parchment. The owl resting on her table blinked solemnly at her. "Don't look at me like that," she scolded. "Now shoo. No answer is necessary." She waved her arms at the owl until it flew off.

Turning back to the parchment, she re-read it, pursing her lips. Over the years, she'd met some interesting characters in her line of work. Originally, she had joined the department wanting to make a difference. She had wanted to help house elves and other disenfranchised wizarding creatures gain rights in the wizarding world. Hermione smiled wryly as she remembered how naive she had been back then. She had made a difference in certain areas. Werewolves were now considered equal citizens, at least on paper. She had given up the house elf cause long ago. Most of them didn't want to be free and she could see now that they were horribly unhappy being free.

Nowadays, Hermione found herself helping people integrate, or re-integrate as the case might be, into wizarding society. The Department of Work and Employment paid her to ensure that witches and wizards were able to be productive members of society. Ever since the sentences for many of the war criminals in Azkaban had worn off, she had found herself working with many of those who had formerly fought alongside Voldemort, helping them to find jobs in the new wizarding world.

She'd hated it at first and she'd suspected that the people she had helped didn't like it much either. Most of them had been cold towards her and she had received few thanks, even when she had managed to find most of them jobs. Still, she had never known any of them personally.

Hermione stared at the name on the parchment. She definitely knew this person personally. In fact, given all she knew, she was surprised that he was making use of the program. She would have thought that he would have more pride. Most of the former Death Eaters that crossed her path had been incarcerated in Azkaban. Visiting her office was a mandatory part of their parole.

Hermione sighed. She suspected that tomorrow would be interesting.

-***-

The appointment was at noon and Hermione heard a sharp knock on the door at precisely two minutes before. She raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected him to be early. "Please come in," she called. Unreasonably, she could feel her palms start sweating. It was ridiculous. She had been out of Hogwarts for just over five years and she had been in this specific job for just under four years. She was good at her job and she knew it. It shouldn't matter that she knew this particular project.

The door opened and Draco Malfoy strode in. Hermione couldn't help studying him. His face was thinner than it had been the last time she saw him, which was several years ago. There were several rumours that floated around the wizarding world regarding what had happened to Draco after the war. Many claimed that he had been locked up in St Mungo's for a mental illness. Others had said that he was currently residing in the south of France with a wife and several children. Hermione hadn't believed any of them, but she had to admit that she had no idea what he had been doing in the past few years.

"Thank you for seeing me," Draco said, as he drew back a chair and sat down. "I'm afraid that this is a waste of both of our time."

Hermione was amused. This wasn't the first time that somebody had told her that it was going to be a waste of time. However, usually it was in far less polite terms. "Mr Malfoy, you signed the consent forms for this department to help you find a job. I think you should let me decide whether this will be a waste of time or not."

He smiled wryly. "I don't need your help to look for a job, Hermione."

Hermione decided to ignore the overly informal use of her given name. It wasn't as though he hadn't used far worse insults for her before. "I have your records here, _Draco_," she said, stressing his name. "From these records, you have applied for over a hundred jobs during the past two years. You have been rejected from all of them, despite exemplary NEWT scores."

The polite look on Draco's face faltered slightly. "I don't need your help," he repeated.

"You have been rejected, despite being far more qualified for these positions than the other applicants," she continued relentlessly. "In fact, you have been rejected for positions that even squibs could do. How does this make you feel, Draco?"

She could see him gritting his teeth. "I don't have to be here listening to this," he snapped, half standing up.

"I'm afraid you didn't read the fine print then," she told him. "This is an official Ministry-sanctioned program and by applying for it, you have agreed to a contract. If you renege, then you will face civil charges as well as fees for any effort expended by our department on your behalf so far."

Draco sat back down again. "What do I have to do then?" he said, his mouth set in a thin line.

"I will be your departmental liaison from now on. If you pass our program, then we will support you in future job applications. We will vouch for you for these job applications. However, we will only do this if we feel that you are a worthy candidate. There is no penalty for failing to pass the program, however, if we feel that you have not applied yourself, then you may find yourself having to reimburse the department for costs." Hermione took a deep breath. She didn't particularly enjoy reciting that particular paragraph out to everybody. Most people had a confused expression after her spiel, but not Draco.

"I see," he said, his expression not betraying anything.

Hermione sat back in her chair. "Why are you here?" she asked. "You are obviously not here because you want to be a productive member of our society."

Draco snorted. "Gathered that, did you?" he said. "My father sent in that application."

Hermione fought to keep her expression smooth. It wasn't the first time she'd seen family members send in applications, however, she would not have suspected that Lucius Malfoy would want his son to be anything in this new society they were still trying to build. Despite his eventual role in helping them win the war, she suspected that he had only switched sides in order to ensure his family stayed out of Azkaban. Lucius Malfoy was the epitome of slippery and she had bad feelings about his intentions here.

Apparently, she wasn't that good at keeping her expression neutral because Draco added, "I was surprised too."

Hermione made a note to talk to Lucius Malfoy. "I have made you an appointment to talk to a Ministry psychiatrist tomorrow. It is an essential part of the program."

"I'll be there," Draco said shortly.

Hermione nodded and noted that down. She reached over, picked up several papers and a booklet and handed them to Draco. "These will give you information on the program. I shall begin collating your background to establish what jobs you would be suited for."

Draco took the papers silently.

-***-

Hermione looked around at the imposing gardens of Malfoy Manor. Steeling herself, she turned back to the door and rapped sharply using the snake knocker. It was obviously connected to some kind of charm because she could hear chimes all throughout the manor.

The door opened and a well-dressed woman looked at Hermione expectantly. "May I help you?"

"Narcissa Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

The woman nodded. "Who might you be?"

"My name's Hermione Granger. I'm with the Department of Work and Employment with the Ministry. Your son has enrolled with our program of Full Employment," Hermione said.

Narcissa smiled. "Lucius has been expecting you. Please come in."

Hesitantly, Hermione stepped forward. She half-expected the heavy wooden door behind her to slam shut and for bats to fly overhead, however, nothing happened. Narcissa closed the door. Inside, it was brightly lit. In fact, as Hermione looked around, she could see beautiful tapestries adorning the walls and several paintings she thought she could recognise.

"This way," Narcissa said as she began walking down the hallway.

Hermione hesitated slightly before following her. She felt the hair rise on the back of her neck as she walked past paintings of people who looked like Malfoy ancestors. She could hear whispering by the people in the paintings but she couldn't make out what they were saying. "You have a beautiful house," she said politely to break the awkward silence. "It must be lovely to live here."

Narcissa turned her head and smiled slightly. "Thank you, but I no longer live here."

Hermione frowned slightly but didn't ask the obvious question. She didn't want to be rude.

Narcissa stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. "Lucius is inside." She rapped sharply on the door and opened the door. She stepped inside and Hermione followed her.

Hermione wasn't sure what she was expecting but the room seemed like a comfortable study. The walls were lined with bookshelves and there was a desk directly opposite the door. Lucius stood up from behind the desk and walked around. "Miss Granger, I was expecting you," he said smoothly.

"Mr Malfoy," Hermione said, extending her hand. "I contacted you yesterday about your son's involvement in our full employment program."

Lucius shook her hand. "Please sit down."

Narcissa stepped around Hermione and kissed Lucius on his cheek. "I need to go now. I'll come around for lunch the same time next week."

Hermione watched as Narcissa left the room. Nervously, she crossed and recrossed her legs. "As you are aware," she began, "Draco has signed up for our full employment program. He said that you assisted him with the application."

Lucius nodded as he pulled up a chair to sit next to her. Hermione felt supremely uncomfortable as he leant forward to talk to her. Although, she suspected she wouldn't have liked it if he has remained behind his desk in a position of power, she didn't like the current proximity either. "I have been supporting the program financially since its inception," he said smoothly. "Despite the early hiccups, I believe that it is a worthwhile cause and that Draco could benefit from it."

Hermione tried not to let her surprise show on her face. She didn't know who the financial backers behind the program were, but if she had been told to guess, she certainly wouldn't have thought Lucius Malfoy would be one of them. "You are aware that if Draco does not complete the program, then he will have to reimburse us for costs involved?"

Lucius smiled slightly. "That will not be a problem, Miss Granger." He leaned backwards in his chair and tilted his head to regard her through lidded eyes. "I take it that you are surprised with my involvement with the program?"

"Of course not," Hermione said quickly.

The slightly raised eyebrow on Lucius's face told her that he didn't quite believe her. "May I be honest with you, Miss Granger?"

Hermione blinked. "Certainly," she said guardedly. "I would appreciate it. Honesty and support from family members is integral to the program."

A slight expression of irritation passed over his face. "I have heard the spiel before," he said shortly. He paused slightly. "I'm sure you know what an unprecedented measure this is for the wizarding world."

She nodded. It certainly was. From what she had seen, the wizarding world seemed to focus more upon punishment rather than the rehabilitation of its criminals. This full employment program seemed to be the first step in the direction of ensuring that people leaving Azkaban could integrate into society as full productive members rather than slipping into their former crimes.

"I can see you believe in the cause you're working for," Lucius told her. "Would it surprise you if I told you that I also believe in it?"

She suppressed an incredulous laugh. "I presumed you would," she said carefully. "I assume you have a significant amount invested financially in it."

Lucius laughed softly. "Not as much as you would think. The Malfoy assets are as plentiful as they always have been; however, the Malfoy name has been somewhat... tarnished over the years. I wish to remedy this."

Hermione felt distinctly uncomfortable with his probing look. "I commend you on your chosen cause," she managed to get out.

He smirked at her. "My motives may not be completely pure, but I do wish to help you. You have an unblemished record on the program. I wouldn't wish for Draco to spoil your record."

Her eyes narrowed. "I believe I can find Draco a job," Hermione said icily. "I have faith that he will easily finish the program." She certainly had done so for more difficult people before. Draco was intelligent, well-spoken and had never served time in Azkaban. She suspected that he would be much easier than some of her previous charges.

"I have no doubts about that," Lucius said. "However, should any problems arise, my door here is always open."

"Thank you," Hermione said politely. She had absolutely no intention of ever taking Lucius up on that particular offer. She reached down and pulled a few papers out of her bag. "I just have several other questions for you. Standard questions for family members."

Lucius leaned back in his chair. "I would be happy to answer them."

As Hermione fumbled in her bag for a quill, she couldn't help but think that this was going to be a long afternoon. She had no idea why Lucius seemed to insistent to help her but she couldn't help but think that he had some sort of underhanded purpose. It couldn't be something as simple as wanting Draco to have a job and be a productive member of society. That would be too normal a reason for a person like Lucius Malfoy. Despite his claim of being honest with her, she suspected that he was being anything but honest.

-***-

Hermione bit the end of her quill without thinking and got a mouthful of feathers. She made a face. It was one of the little idiosyncrasies of the wizarding world that still got her after all these years. In primary school she enjoyed chewing on the end of her pen. It was one of her ways of relaxing. Chewing on the end of a quill, however, was a distinctly different matter.

She pulled open the filing cabinet next to her and rifled through it until she found the weekly evaluation reports. She had just gotten a report back from the Ministry psychiatrist and careers counsellor. Both seemed enthusiastic about Draco's ability to find a job. It seemed that despite his lack of co-operation in her office, he had been perfectly polite and reasonable towards everybody else.

Hermione gave a wry smile as she began to fill out the forms that indicated that Draco was able to move onto the next step of the program. It wasn't the first time that something like this had happened. Sometimes it rankled that the Ministry psychologist, a fifty year old wizard who sometimes even scared her, could garner more respect than she could from these people.

-***-

"Good work on the Malfoy case!"

Hermione looked up at her supervisor. "Thanks, Amelia," she said, with a slightly bewildered smile. In the years she had worked here, Amelia rarely ever stopped by her office to say anything positive. "I believe we'll have a job lined up for him before the month is out."

Amelia smiled. Hermione swallowed an inward cringe. To her, Amelia's smile always had a rather shark-like quality. "You realise that Lucius Malfoy is a large contributor to this program," she said, still smiling.

"Yes," Hermione said hesitantly.

"He has requested that you update him regularly about his son's progress."

Hermione frowned. "I've been sending the progress reports." She fumbled in her drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. "The same ones I always send out. They go out weekly. I filed them with the department as usual."

Amelia gave her a sharp look. "Lucius Malfoy is a very important contributor to this program. He had chosen to enrol his son because he believes in our cause." Hermione tried to wipe the disbelieving expression off her face. "He wishes that you go over to Malfoy Manor weekly to update him in person about his son's progress."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "That's ridiculous!" She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.

Amelia narrowed her eyes, one slim arm propped up on the desk. Her lips were pursed. "Lucius Malfoy has been very generous with his donations. I might mention that this money pays my salary and yours."

Hermione got the picture. "I'll go over tomorrow to give him the update in person," she said through gritted teeth.

"See that you do," Amelia said and smiled again.

Hermione watched as Amelia walked away. She grimaced. She would have to take time out of her already busy day in order to deliver a progress report personally. It would have been much easier if Lucius Malfoy had just used his money to bribe somebody to give Draco a job, she thought with a sigh.

-***-

Lucius answered the door on her second knock. "Please, come in, Miss Granger," he said politely, stepping aside. "I'm glad that you could make it."

Hermione bit her cheek to avoid making a snide reply about how she couldn't have avoided it. Stepping forward, she blinked slightly as her eyes adjusted to the slightly darkened hallway. "I'm afraid that I cannot be here for very long," she said. She had already made up her mind that she wasn't going to pander to Lucius Malfoy's strange request for any longer than was absolutely necessary. She had her written report tucked in her bag and was planning to recite from it.

She followed Lucius. They followed a circuitous route, but Hermione thought she could recognise it from the previous time. It seemed that they were going towards Lucius's study and she was pleased when she realised that she was right. Lucius pushed open the door and stepped inside. He gestured to a chair. "Please take a seat."

Hermione sat down on the edge of one of the chairs and clutched her bag. She felt ridiculously nervous and she wasn't sure why.

Lucius laughed. It wasn't a harsh or mocking laugh which made it all the more surprising. "I'm not going to bite or kill you, Miss Granger."

She forced herself to relax slightly. "Draco has been participating in the program for just over a week now," she said, not needing to consult the notes inside her bag. "He has been making very good progress. I anticipate that he will be able to finish the program sooner than average."

Lucius nodded.

Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out the parchment she had already written out. She handed it to Lucius. "I was going to owl this to you," she said.

"My apologies for inconveniencing you," Lucius said smoothly. "However, you understand that I have many galleons invested in this program and I confess that I am interested in the details of its workings."

Hermione frowned. "I'm afraid that I cannot release anything like confidential psychological reports to you."

"I'm more interested in the result of the program," Lucius told her. "I'm interested in seeing whether my money is being put to good use. Is it helping these people?"

"I have personally had a hundred per cent success rate," Hermione said after a small hesitation.

"I'm not interested in the company line," Lucius said bluntly. "I'm interested in what you think."

Hermione frowned. Amelia certainly hadn't told her that she was going to be questioned like this by Lucius Malfoy. In any case, she was a Ministry employee. She couldn't give a completely honest opinion. "I believe that it is a good idea," she said carefully.

Lucius smiled slightly and she had a feeling that he understood her perfectly.

-***-

Hermione found her next few weeks to be exceedingly busy. Amelia had given her several other people to work with and all were proving more difficult than Draco. She had plenty of work to do and she was still required to take time out of her busy schedule once a week to go and update Lucius Malfoy on his son's progress.

She found the task was less odious than she first expected. Lucius didn't act as though she was a Muggle-born and therefore less worthy of respect. She described Draco's progress within the program and Lucius listened. In fact, at times, she found herself challenged by what he had to say.

"We're helping society," Hermione insisted. Invariably, every time she talked to Lucius, she felt a distinctly uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

"You're keeping our kind in our place," Lucius countered. "Have you looked at the records of your department lately? The average salary of somebody who has gone through your program is over five hundred Galleons less than everybody else. Out of two hundred and thirty-four people your department has placed, most have been in menial positions. Out of these, only three of the jobs required any skill whatsoever!"

Hermione was annoyed. "Why did you sign Draco up for the program then?" she snapped. "Why are you helping to fund it?"

Lucius smiled wryly. "I know that it's better to be inside the system rather than outside. A job is better than no job and although he might not thank me now, it was better than seeing him rant for the next five years. How is the job hunt going?"

"It's on track," she said. "Draco seems to be going through the program quickly and that is always a plus for employers."

"Ah, yes," Lucius said. "The program."

Hermione held up a hand. "I really don't want to hear it," she said. "I'm not here to discuss politics. I'm here to help your son." In fact, she wasn't quite sure any more why she continued visiting Malfoy Manor.

Lucius's expression made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. She shifted in her chair. "Admit it, Miss Granger. You enjoy these conversations."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "That is nothing to be ashamed of," he told her. "I admit that I also find something interesting about our conversations."

"I do not enjoy these conversations," she insisted. "You're a former Death Eater."

He laughed. "And you are a Muggle-born."

Hermione stiffened and glared at him. "I could report you for that."

Lucius raised a hand. "I was simply making a point. If I can overlook that, surely you can overlook my past activities."

Hermione snorted. It was not the same thing and she suspected that Lucius was perfectly aware of that. "Even if I had time to answer that, I wouldn't," she said. "I'm afraid I have to go."

Lucius stood up. "I'll see you next week for the weekly update," he said. "Despite my personal concerns regarding the program, I am grateful that you are helping Draco." He smiled at her. "I shall walk you to the door."

The first few times Lucius had said that, Hermione had insisted on walking to the door herself. It had taken her over ten minutes before she'd realised that she was horribly, hopelessly lost. They always spoke in one of the sitting rooms and it seemed to be a simple route from the front door, but Hermione never seemed to be able to find it. She suspected that there might be some tricks inside Malfoy Manor for the unwitting stranger. Since then, she had found it much simpler to let Lucius walk her to the door.

Once outside in the bright sunlight, Hermione let out a long breath. Lucius had been right. She did enjoy the conversations. It also couldn't hurt if the current Ministry had Lucius Malfoy's backing. While they did not have the influence they once had, the Malfoy family still were very important in certain pureblood circles. Hermione sighed. It was just a brief thought and she doubted anything would come of it.

Taking a few steps away from the house, Hermione Apparated away.

-***-

Hermione snorted. Lucius had an expression of distaste on his face at the sound but Hermione ignored him. "Muggle culture is not dominating wizarding culture!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"It's inevitable," he countered. "Muggle-borns such as yourself spend most of their childhood being exposed to Muggle ideas. Then they come to Hogwarts. Magic doesn't come naturally to you. How could it?"

Hermione glared at him. She could feel her fingers flexing and she itched to grab her wand but she stopped herself. "I was the best witch in my year," she said, fighting to keep her voice even. She knew that if she grabbed her wand, she could probably disarm him.

"I'm not denying that," Lucius said. "Nobody is denying that you're a remarkably intelligent witch and your magical powers are exceptional. However, magic still doesn't come naturally to you. Tell me, if you spill a glass of water, do you go for a cloth or your wand first?"

Hermione hesitated and bit her bottom lip. She wanted to say wand to prove her point but she knew that she usually just went for the option of the cloth or paper towel. "We weren't allowed to use magic in the corridors at Hogwarts," she pointed out. "Everybody had to learn so-called Muggle ways of dealing with things."

"Next time you're out with somebody who grew up in a wizarding family, watch them," Lucius told her. "It's easier to use a wand."

"Not always," Hermione said. "Using magic drains you. A hundred small tasks will drain you as much as Avada Kedavra."

Lucius lifted an eyebrow. "Have you tested this theory?"

Hermione shook her head as she pushed her chair back. "Not scientifically, no," she said irritably, as she gathered her papers up. "I need to go anyway."

Lucius stood up and opened the door for her. Hermione shivered slightly as she passed by him. The air seemed thick with the tension of their argument and his eyes gleamed with amusement as she ducked under his arm.

As she strode away, Hermione couldn't help but wryly note that almost every time, she ended up walking away in the middle of one of their arguments. They were surprisingly friendly arguments given that she was arguing with Lucius Malfoy and she had to admit, privately, that some of his points made sense. She sighed. What was the world coming to that Lucius Malfoy was making sense?

-***-

With surprise, Hermione stared at Draco's test results. She had known that his scores in his NEWTs were exceptionally high; however, she hadn't expected that Draco would ace the Muggle IQ tests as well. At her suggestion, the program had made use of IQ tests in addition to other magical means of testing. She had found that despite flaws in the tests, they were surprisingly accurate, especially when testing witches and wizards who had never been exposed to such means of testing.

Her last conversation with Lucius echoed in her head uncomfortably. It was certainly true that those who had finished the program were earning less than the average salary for people of their age; however, Hermione had never thought about it. She had always seen her task as helping people find a job. She had always assumed that once prospective employers saw the results of the tests and read the guarantees the department was ready to offer, that the employers would look past their personal prejudices.

Now, thinking back on some of her experiences, Hermione wasn't quite sure. Many of the people who passed through her office had barely scraped through their OWLs; however, there were a couple of very bright ones. Even the smartest of them had ended up with a rather menial position in the doldrums of a Ministry department.

Hermione bit her lip. Lucius couldn't be right, she told herself. It was ridiculous. He had implied that there was some sort of systematic prejudice going on against people who had already served their time for their crimes. She knew that, of course, there would be people who would rankle at hiring a former Death Eater; however that was the point of her job. She was supposed to be helping to eliminate the prejudice, not help it along.

With a sigh, she turned back to her paperwork.

-***-

"Thank you for meeting with me," Hermione said pleasantly. She smiled over the table at the Head of Wizarding Dynamics, one of the leading Potions Manufacturers.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Granger," Wentworth said. "I've been reading about your work in the Prophet and I must say that it is a most intriguing venture."

Hermione nodded. "That is actually why I'm here today." She reached down and extracted Draco's folder from her bag and placed it upon the table. "I heard that you were looking for a Potions Apprentice who could work unsupervised on NEWT level potions."

Wentworth looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I have the perfect candidate," Hermione continued. "Draco Malfoy scored an Outstanding in his Potions NEWT. Moreover, he scored an Outstanding in four more of his NEWT level subjects, which shows a very good grasp of magic."

Wentworth held up a hand. "I'm rather astonished that you are here, Miss Granger."

"Pardon?" Hermione said, feeling rather confused. "Mr Malfoy is an exceptional candidate for the position. The department provides a full guarantee for all persons who finish our program."

"I'm well aware of that, Miss Granger," Wentworth said rather sharply. He must have realised that his words were rather harsh, because his face softened slightly. "I confess to being astonished because I personally offered to take on a wizard who had finished your program. Despite his tarnished past, he had an impeccable record as a Potions Master and would have been an asset to my company. I was told by a representative of your department that it was unnecessary and those who had completed your program were unlikely to be skilled enough for a firm as prestigious as mine."

Hermione stared. She cleared her throat. "May I ask who the wizard was?"

"Severus Snape," Wentworth told her, a small frown on his face.

Hermione fought to keep the surprise off her face. She had heard that Amelia had placed Snape in a minor position within the Ministry. Although the Wizengamot had cleared him of all charges, he had lost his position at Hogwarts. She had been amazed to hear that he had signed up for the program but hadn't thought further about it. The last she heard, Snape had left England and was rumoured to be working somewhere in continental Europe.

Wentworth held out his hand. "May I have a look at those records?"

She held them out and watched as he flipped through them. She was beginning to get a sick feeling in her stomach. It sounded like Amelia had deliberately ensured that Snape lost out on a good opportunity.

"I would like to speak to Mr Malfoy," Wentworth said. He gave her a sudden warm smile. "From your records, it looks like he would be an appropriate candidate."

"I'll arrange a meeting," Hermione said. She stood up and leaned over to shake his head. "Thank you." Her head was still spinning from what she had learned.

As she walked to the door, Hermione suddenly realised that Amelia handled most of the floo-calls and visits to the various companies and departments. It was beginning to smell like a conspiracy to her.

-***-

Draco's face was mostly impassive when she told him about the interview; however, Hermione thought she could detect a spark of surprise in his eyes. "Thank you," he said politely as she handed him an information pack about the company.

"You don't have to sound so enthusiastic," she quipped, feeling slightly irritated. She knew that Draco deserved the job and she was going to help him get it even if he continued acting like a zombie, but she would have preferred if he acted more human. She was suddenly reminded of how different her conversations with Lucius were. They were always impassioned conversations, which generally ended up in the area of politics. Despite their greatly differing belief, the conversations had always remained surprisingly civil.

Draco's face softened slightly. "I do appreciate it, Hermione," he said. "It's a great opportunity."

"I'm sure you'll ace the interview," she told him with a smile. "Good luck!" She watched as he left.

-***-

Lucius held out a hand for her to shake. "Thank you, Miss Granger," he told her. "Draco told me about the job offer last night." His palm was warm and she felt a small tingle go up her arm as his hand lingered just a second longer than it should have.

"It was quite a lucrative position," Hermione said quickly to break the tension. She knew that Draco deserved to have a good position. What she had learned while talking to Wentworth still sat uncomfortably in her mind. She wasn't sure what to do with the information or even if it was accurate. However, she knew that she couldn't just do nothing.

Lucius gave her a wry smile. "An exception, not the rule," he replied. There was strange look on his face, a look that made her feel rather uncomfortable. It was as if he was looking right through her.

To hide the awkwardness, Hermione glanced at her watch. "I'm afraid that I must go," she said quickly. "I must get back to the office. I have overdue paperwork." While that was true enough, she almost always had overdue paperwork on her desk. However, it was a convenient excuse.

Lucius stood up. "I shall see you again next week then," he said.

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "My task here was to update you on Draco's progress in the program and my progress in finding him a job. That's now over."

"That's true," he said smoothly. "However, I have made a sizeable contribution to your department. I would like to be updated on the progress of the full employment project in general as well."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to run that idea by my boss," Hermione said, hoping that Amelia would say no.

Lucius tilted his head and looked at her. "If she does not seem amenable to the idea and we are unable to see each other professionally anymore, perhaps you would like to continue our conversations over dinner sometime?"

Hermione stared at him, open-mouthed. "What?" Lucius made it sound like they had been having some form of sordid affair. "No," she said. "That's entirely inappropriate." She stood up and pushed her chair back with a scrape.

-***-

As Hermione half-walked, half-stumbled away from Lucius's study, she found herself being stopped suddenly. Looking up, she saw Narcissa's concerned face.

"I need to go," Hermione said abruptly, trying to push past the older woman.

"You look... upset," Narcissa said quietly, looking intently at her face. "Did Lucius say something to upset you?"

Hermione couldn't help but snort slightly. "No," she said. "He was perfectly polite."

Narcissa lifted up one perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"I told him that due to the fact Draco has a job now, it is not necessary for me to continue to come here weekly to give him updates," Hermione said.

There was a strange expression on Narcissa's face. It almost seemed like she was trying to suppress a smile. "This doesn't explain why you are upset," she pointed out.

Hermione let out a long breath and closed her eyes briefly. She had no idea why she was telling Narcissa this. After all, Lucius was her former husband and she still seemed to spend a significant amount of time at Malfoy Manor. "He then said that if we could no longer see each other under a professional guise, then would I be amendable to going out for dinner later this week."

"Ah," Narcissa said. "And I take it that you didn't wish to go to dinner?"

Hermione felt caught off guard. "I didn't think it would be appropriate," she said stiffly. "In fact, this entire conversation is inappropriate. Thank you for your concern though." She forced a smile, but she suspected that it was probably rather brittle. She stepped around the other woman.

"Hermione?" Narcissa called from behind her. "Lucius may be my ex-husband; however, I believe I still know him quite well. He does not make these kinds of offers lightly."

There was only a slight stumble in her step as Hermione hurried away, Narcissa's last words still echoing in her head. She pushed open the door and blinked slightly as the bright light from the sun assailed her eyes.

Narcissa's words echoed in her mind. It was ridiculous. It was impossible that Lucius liked her in that way. This was all some sort of ploy. Hermione knew it was, but she hesitated anyway. With a deep breath, she turned around and hurried back inside.

-***-

"Why did you invite me out for dinner?" Hermione said abruptly as she walked back into the study.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "You're an intelligent woman. I'm sure you could work it out."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I know I'm intelligent, but I'm also Muggle-born, or did you forget that? Or do you prefer the term Mudblood?" She winced internally at the epitaph. After so many years in the wizarding world, it sounded like the crudest of insults, even to her own ears. Although she had to admit, when she first learned of it, it just didn't have the same ring to her as it did to wizarding-born children.

"I've forgotten nothing," he said. "I find your company pleasant. The conversation is always interesting."

She pursed her lips. While she didn't think that Lucius was lying, she certainly didn't believe he was telling the complete truth. Their conversations were definitely interesting though. "I wouldn't disagree on that point," she said carefully.

"Then would you like to accompany me to dinner this evening?" Lucius asked, a slight smile on his face. "I don't have other plans and I would enjoy your company."

Hermione hesitated. Against her better judgement, she wanted to agree. She really did enjoy talking with Lucius. There would be no harm in agreeing. "Only dinner," she said in a warning tone.

Lucius gave her a charming smile that immediately put her warning sensors on alert. "I believe you'll enjoy the restaurant."

-***-

Hermione looked around disbelievingly. She couldn't a single floating candle or a robe in sight. Admittedly, there were a couple of very oddly dressed wizards. She thought she could spot one grey-haired wizard with a bra on the outside of his t-shirt. Other than that, there was little indication that they were right in the middle of Diagon Alley.

Lucius smirked at the expression on her face. "The Muggle Experience," he said, pointing to a sign emblazoned on one of the walls. "Everybody is expected to dress like Muggles."

Hermione felt slightly uncomfortable as she looked down at her own robes. Looking over at Lucius, she saw him casually unbutton his robes to show a Muggle suit underneath. "You could have told me," she said sharply.

Lucius tilted his head towards one of the dimly lit corners. She followed his gaze to see a few witches and wizards in robes sitting there that she hadn't seen before. "It is an expectation, however, not everybody partakes in the entire Muggle experience."

A waiter approached them. He was dressed impeccably. If Hermione hadn't known better, she would have thought that he was a Muggle.

"We have a reservation under Malfoy," Lucius told him.

The waiter nodded. "Come this way please," he said politely and led them towards a small intimate alcove.

As Hermione slid into the booth, she could feel the plastic-like feel of the fake leather underneath her fingers. The tables seemed to be made out of cheap wood. All in all, it reminded her of a cheap restaurant or diner. "Thank you," she said as the waiter handed them both a menu.

Lucius turned his head slightly to watch the waiter leave and then turned back to Hermione. "I have heard that this place is considered quite authentic," he said smoothly. "I thought you might appreciate the experience."

"It... is certainly unique," Hermione said diplomatically. "I think I would have preferred a real Muggle restaurant."

"Of course," Lucius said with a nod. "I'll remember that for next time."

"There won't be a next time," Hermione retorted. She knew that she enjoyed his company. Why she enjoyed his company was a mystery but Merlin knew, she did enjoy it. However, she also knew that it was dangerous to play with fire. Agreeing to this dinner was a mistake she didn't plan on making again.

Lucius just smiled at her. "Just wait until you try the food," he told her smoothly, changing the topic. "It's remarkable."

-***-

Hermione threw Snape's file on Amelia's desk.

Amelia looked up at her. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked sharply. She reached over and picked up the file.

"Draco Malfoy is now working for Wizarding Dynamics," Hermione said flatly.

Amelia simply tilted her head to the side and looked at Hermione through her eyelashes. "I do read your reports, Hermione," she said. "I'm pleased you managed to get him such a lucrative position."

"While I was at Wizarding Dynamics, I heard from Potions Master Wentworth that he would have been pleased to hire Snape," Hermione said, pointing towards the file she had thrown on Amelia's desk. "He said that you refused his offer."

Amelia lifted one perfectly manicured eyebrow. "What are you trying to say, Hermione?"

Hermione hesitated. It all made perfect sense inside her head, but now that she was confronting Amelia with it, it sounded almost outlandish. She decided to try a different method. "Was there a particular reason why you refused the position? From what I knew of Snape, he would have been perfect for the job. It required minimal social interaction and a high skill in brewing complicated potions."

"Severus Snape did not want to work for Wizarding Dynamics," Amelia said, giving Hermione one of her shark smiles. "I refused the offer under a different guise as I did not wish to repeat some of Severus's less than pleasant words about Mr Wentworth."

Hermione blinked. She had to admit that it made sense.

"It's not a conspiracy," Amelia told her. "We're not trying to shut out purebloods or anything like that."

"Not all purebloods," Hermione countered. "What about those with the wrong ideas? What about those who fought on the wrong side of the war?"

Amelia leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "This department has always been fair and has followed every single Ministry guideline. I expected better from you, Hermione. I expect that you would not repeat those walls outside these walls."

Hermione was silent.

-***-

"Severus did not refuse the position," Lucius said flatly. "He wasn't informed of it."

Hermione took a deep breath. Despite everything, she found herself believing Lucius over Amelia. Perhaps it was because she had never liked her supervisor much, or perhaps it was because Lucius looked far more believable. His eyes were flashing with suppressed anger at the opportunity his friend had missed out upon, whereas Amelia had simply given Hermione one of her fake smiles. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Lucius snapped. "I've had to help Severus out financially several times in the past few years. I don't mind, of course. I would have urged him to take more, if he had accepted it. Switzerland was the only place where he could get a job suited to his skills. There's only a small wizarding community there so the demand for his potions isn't as great as it would be here."

"I wasn't aware," Hermione said quietly.

Lucius turned to face her. "I didn't think you would be," he said matter-of-factly. "Or you wouldn't be here."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say to that.

-***-

Hermione suppressed a shiver as Lucius stepped closer to her. He had invited her out to dinner again and she had agreed, despite her doubts. She felt rather full from the meal. He lifted a hand and tucked an unruly curl behind her ear. "Would you like some brandy?" he asked.

She found herself nodding. Following Lucius, Hermione sat down on a wingback chair that was pulled up comfortably next to the fireplace. Lucius poured them both drinks and then sat down on the chair opposite her. "Thanks," she said and sipped from her glass. The brandy burned as it slid down her throat. A part of her mind was telling her to leave now, but another part was mesmerised by the way Lucius was swirling his brandy. "How is Draco enjoying his job?"

"He seems pleased," Lucius said.

There was an awkward silence. Hermione tried to think of something else to say but everything she could think of was political and she didn't want to spoil the pleasant evening. Their conversations were never acrimonious but sometimes they did get rather heated. She shook her head slightly. She wasn't even sure why she cared about spoiling the mood. They seemed to get along well as acquaintances, perhaps even friends. That was all they were going to be. She was positive. "I should leave," she said quickly, draining the rest of her glass.

Lucius lifted his eyebrow. "So soon?"

She stood up and hurriedly put her glass down on the table. "I have to be at work early tomorrow."

He placed his glass on the table and stood up as well. Hermione shivered as he took a step closer to her. "You could stay here," he said quietly.

Hermione stared.

Lucius took that opportunity to lean forward to kiss her. Hermione could feel her breath quicken as Lucius gently wrapped his arms around her. She moaned slightly as his fingers grazed over the bare skin on her arm.

"That was ... surprising," Hermione said, her eyes wide. He looked almost as shocked by the turn of events as she was. It was obvious that he hadn't planned it. She could feel her heart pounding. There was a strange expression in his eyes that she would have taken for admiration if it was anything else. It wasn't as though she wasn't attracted to him. She was. That was the problem. But he was also Lucius Malfoy. This was a bad idea. She knew it.

Lucius lifted his arm and tucked her hair behind her ear again. Impulsively, she kissed his hand and watched as he closed his eyes.

"I'll stay the night," she said quietly.

-***-

Waking up next to Lucius was less nerve-wracking than Hermione would have thought. She had set her alarm to wake her up early so that she could get to work on time. She had hoped to sneak out of Malfoy Manor before Lucius woke up, but by the time she had stopped her alarm beeping, he was already sitting up in bed.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Trying to sneak away?"

She looked at him. That sounded like a suspiciously teasing tone of voice. From the small smile on his face, she realised that it was. "I said that I needed to get to work," she pointed out.

"Any regrets?"

Hermione thought about it. If anybody had asked her a few days back whether she would have regretted sleeping with Lucius Malfoy, she would have definitely said yes. Despite the sexual tension between them, there was other, far less pleasant, tension that would have made any kind of relationship near impossible. Yet, now that it had happened, she found that she didn't regret it. "No," she said slowly.

"Good," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss on her bare shoulder. "Dinner tonight?"

Hermione nodded. Dinner with Lucius actually sounded like a good idea. Despite her misgivings, everything so far had turned out better than she could have ever guessed. She found herself hoping that everything would continue to work out well.

-***-

Hermione turned to Lucius abruptly. "I bumped into Narcissa today at the Ministry. She mentioned to me that you're running for a seat on the Wizengamot next year." She hesitated before speaking. "Was that why you were doing this," she said, wincing internally at her words.

"Doing what?" Lucius asked, sounding calm.

"You know what!" she snapped. "You and me. This! This is one big political ploy to you, isn't it?" She could feel her hands shaking slightly.

Lucius stared at her for a moment and then to her annoyance, he began to laugh.

"Stop laughing!" she said angrily. "This isn't funny."

He stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. "If this were a political ploy, there would have been many eligible pureblooded witches with political views that differ from my own that I could have invited out to dinner."

Hermione considered his point. It was true that he could have decided to ask a pureblooded witch such as Ginny Weasley, if she wasn't married. In fact, Ginny would have been an asset to his campaign in a way that Hermione could never be. "You needed to be with a Muggle-born to prove that you've changed," she insisted.

Lucius took a step forward and lifted a hand to trace a line down her face. "We're a good team," he said a matter-of-factly. "We could be a bridge between the divisive lines the wizarding world has drawn. I know you can see that, Hermione."

"Maybe," she said warily.

-***-

The door opened and Hermione jumped slightly when she saw Draco striding in. "That was a long day..." he began to say when he stopped and stared at both of them. His eyes flicked towards Lucius and then towards her. "You were just having dinner," he said flatly.

Hermione bit her lip. She didn't know how to respond. It was blatantly obvious from the intimate table set for two that they were having dinner. She pushed her chair back with a scrape. "I'm going now." She had no wish to get into the middle of an argument.

Lucius reached out for her hand. He squeezed her fingers tightly. Hermione could see Draco's eyes following the motion and narrowing. "Stay," he said abruptly. He turned to his son. "Yes, we were both having dinner."

There was a brief pause as Draco stared at Hermione. "I see," he said finally. There was a slight tinge of amusement in his voice. He turned to her and smiled politely. "Thank you, Hermione, for the job. I'm going to go now and leave you two alone."

She watched, dumbfounded as he headed out the door. It closed with a soft click behind him.

"More soufflé?" Lucius said, offering her the bowl as if nothing had happened.

Hermione shook her head. "That went better than I thought," she said still staring at the door. "Certainly better than when I told Harry and Ginny last week." Anything would have gone better than that particular meeting, she thought wryly. Ginny had simply turned away from her, tight-lipped and refused to talk to her and Harry had looked horrified. Since then, neither of them had contacted her.

Lucius simply smiled.

-***-

Amelia stopped by her office and tapped her long red fingernails on her desk. "I hear that you're helping Lucius Malfoy run for a position on the Wizengamot," she said acidly. "Why?"

Hermione looked up. She carefully schooled her features into something neutral. "I believe that he has something to offer society," she said blandly. "After all, isn't that what we're about? Ensuring that everybody in wizarding England is a contributing member of society?"

Amelia's lip curled. "There's a rumour that you're sleeping with him, you know."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat but she kept her features calm. "Is there?"

"I would be careful if I were you, Hermione," Amelia said in a warning tone. "Lucius Malfoy is a dangerous man. He and the rest of his kind should have been locked up in Azkaban where they belong." She gave Hermione one of her shark-like smiles. "You're one of my best employees. I would hate if you should lose your job over an indiscretion like this."

Hermione clenched her hands into fists. "I'm not having an _affair_," she said, keeping her tone even. "Have you even read our submission?"

"I don't need to," Amelia told her stiffly.

-***-

"You're right," Hermione said as she walked into Lucius's study.

Lucius looked up and lifted an eyebrow. "Of course I am," he agreed. "What am I right about?"

Hermione sighed. "The department. Amelia. I wouldn't say it was some sort of conspiracy but it's not right." She pursed her lips. "This sort of thing just breeds anger in future generations."

Lucius pointed to the piles of papers on his desk. "That's why we're doing this," he said. "The best place to create change is from the inside. We need to find a middle ground where purebloods and Muggle-borns can live together."

Hermione nodded. "That's why I'm helping," she pointed out as she walked up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down for a kiss. "We do make a good team."

"Of course we do," Lucius said.

Hermione peered over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware that you had contacts in the Muggle world." When he didn't reply, she sat down beside him and stared at his face. She could have sworn that he looked slightly embarrassed.

"If we're going to try for stronger ties to the Muggle world, then contacts are necessary," he said mildly.

She stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't believe in that."

He reached over and ran a hand through her curls. "Let's just say you convinced me."

"Uh huh," Hermione said, sounding disbelieving.

Lucius gave a slight smile. "With stronger ties, we'll be able to ensure that Muggle-born children have less of a difficult transition into the magical world."

Hermione tilted her head. While she wouldn't have called her transition into the wizarding world difficult, she had to admit that she could see Lucius's point. She had buried her nose in as many wizarding texts as possible so by the time she had boarded the Hogwarts train in her first year, she knew about as much as the average child who had been brought up in the wizarding world. However, she had seen that Harry was completely lost in the wizarding world at first.

Lucius reached over and took her hand. "I'm going to need your help on this," he said seriously. He then gave a wry smile. "Imagine how this is all going to sound coming from me alone."

"You'd probably be carted off to St Mungo's," she agreed. "Plus, you need my knowledge of Muggles."

He reached over and tweaked her nose. "I think I have the hang of electricity now," he said.

"You shorted my mother's laptop last time," she told him. "We're starting with a toaster next time. Or maybe a lamp. They're less expensive."

-***-

**Epilogue**

The Daily Prophet

14/12/2009

_Lucius Malfoy wins Wizengamot seat by landslide_

Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Granger (see photo) both claim that this is a landmark day for both Muggle-borns and purebloods. "I will work to eliminate corruption within the Ministry. I will be working to ensure equality for all citizens, regardless of bloodlines and afflictions," Malfoy told _The Daily Prophet_ reporters earlier today. "As my campaign manager, Hermione has been instrumental in my success."

Lucius Malfoy has vowed to forge stronger ties with the Muggle world in the hopes for a brighter future for Muggle-born children. The Muggle Prime Minister has been rumoured to be considering revealing the existence of the magical world to the general Muggle population. Hermione Granger has been quoted as saying: "The future has never looked brighter."

It remains to be seen whether one of the brightest Muggle-born students of our time and a former Death Eater will be able to achieve these ambitious goals.

_-finis_


End file.
